How do we move towards trust?Firstly, become self-aware of your levels of trust with a) yourself (do you do what you say you will do?) b) your top team (measure it now) c) your Board d) your workforce e) your customers.In my experience working with any Board or senior team,measuring the trust levels to start with is key – otherwise whatis actually true in anything they say? This can be done, eitheropenly (if they are mature and really ready for change) or byhaving them write down and thus become aware of theirinterpersonal trust scores, without the initial discomfort ofmaking them overt. The team can then be helped in thecourageous step to look at the real 'hard facts'. Some may atthis point have chosen to leave – such openness andauthenticity of a challenging and trusting organisation is notfor everyone and that's OK. Let's 'feel' that reality now! With pen and paper to hand writedown the names of your closest colleagues, whatever levelyou are at in the organisation, with 10 being complete trustand 0 being complete mistrust – and without thinking, as yoursubconscious already knows all these scores, write down thefirst number that comes into your mind when you think of thename you are looking at.So.......how does that look - or more importantly - how doesthat feel.......?

Now just as importantly and with that new knowledge and selfawareness, how are you going to address what is now yournew reality? This is where an external facilitator can, oil thewheels of change, with authentic and challengingcommunications, to finally align your team to achieve highspeed and high ongoing performance, as well as greaterenjoyment.Exploring trust is the one thing that will change everything inimproving our engagement, effectiveness and enjoyment, inthe world where we work, rest and play.Businesses do not do business with other businesses - peopledo business with each other. Feelings (EQ) are far moreimportant (and real) than the superficial facts (IQ).Secondly let’s take a look at where you think yourorganisation is on the trust-tax index from Stephen Covey Jnr'sexcellent book 'The Speed of Trust'. Use the tables on the nexttwo pages and identify where your organisation is in terms ofthe most important thing in business and then take time tocrucially openly discuss it; individually with the CEO leading,or collectively, facilitated by the CEO or HRD, or as I say witha neutral and trusted external facilitator. This should be doneas a follow on from the first exercise above, when the team isready to face such a challenge........ideally within two weeksof the writing of the numbers.

“You can have all the facts and figures, all the supporting evidence, all the endorsements that you want, but if you don’t command trust, you won’t get anywhere.”

Naill Fitzgerald former chairman, Unilever

Higher staff turnover Lower moraleHigher advertising Lower acceptance and speed to change& interviewing costsHigher training costs Lower creativityHigher lost knowledge Lower job applications from true talentHigher absenteeism costs Lower work effectiveness & continuityHigher sickness costs Lower fun and enthusiasmHigher dis-engagement rates Lower speed to market (crucial in due to continual today's internet workplace)crisis managementHigher bureaucracy & Lower engagementmicromanagementHighly dysfunctional Lower turnouts at open eventsrelationships (them & us)Higher HR, tribunal & Lower profitscompensation costs

This all leads to the true costs of an organisation with low levels of trust...........

The 40% Tax (Low Trust)

The 20% Tax (Trust Issues)

No Tax/No Dividend (Trust is not an issue)

Trust Taxes and Dividends

The 80% Tax (Non Dividend)

The 60% Tax (Very Low)

Notice the organisations in The Sunday Times Top 100 BestCompanies To Work For List – they turn the table on pg2 onits head and show that the five-year average returns oforganisations in that list, outstrip any equivalent organisationsin the FTSE 100 by over four times the level of profit – 15.1%c.f. 3.5% even during times of recession!

Take Google – their culture of trust, allows staff to spend 20%of their time on anything they want, while still obviouslyrelated to Google's success. Thus they choose, something they'want to' do and ENJOY doing (EQ).

Guess what – 50% of Google's new products come from that

20% of free and trusted time!

So............ if its effectiveness you're after – trust is the key.

If its enjoyment you're after – trust is the key

If its engagement you're after – trust is the key

And the real profit here, (as financial profit is easy whenpeople are effective, enjoying and engaged), is that theorganisation succeeds, the employees succeed, their familiessucceed and the community in general grows and succeeds.(unlike that IQ banking world of almost complete mistrust andsocietal pain bereft of trust)

“Technique and technology are important, but adding trust is the issue of the decade.”Tom Peters business author and consultant

“Speed happens when people really trust each other.” Edward Marshall

“If you’re not fast, you’re dead.” Jack Welch former CEO, General Electric

If you wish to explore the use of trust in your organisation – email or call me.

e – Les@qfour.org.uk m – +44 (0)7770 903266

The 20% Dividend (Trust Is A Visible Asset)

The 40% Dividend (World Class Trust)

So in short, if there is limited trust (oil), in any organisational machine, it will place itself in a far weaker position interms of effectiveness, engagement, enjoyment or existence, than one that is actually discussing, dealing and

deciding on the one 'hard fact'', that has the ability to alter everything in that organisation.

So Trust or Rust indeed....In fact ultimately, for the individual, the team, the organisation,

the family or the community – it's Trust, Rust or Bust..!!And your action now is.................??